What one company is doing to reduce emissions
Success story: Carter Holt Harvey particle board mill in Tumut, New South Wales
Carter Holt Harvey Wood Products Australia is a reporter to the National Pollutant Inventory (NPI). One of the main goals of the NPI is to encourage facilities to use cleaner production techniques to reduce substance emissions and decrease waste. The Carter Holt Harvey particle board mill has implemented a range of cleaner production techniques and installed pollution reduction equipment to reduce emissions to the environment.
Waste management
- Particle board products manufactured at the mill are made from plantation pine timber as well as recycled wood shavings and sawdust. Around 50 per cent of the materials used in the manufacturing process were previously going to landfill or incinerated as waste.
- Waste wood products from the Tumut and Oberon mills are used as feedstock for the heat plant at the Tumut mill. This reduces the amount of solid waste going to landfill, and reduces the use of fossil fuels for energy.
- Baghouse equipment collects 95 per cent of particulate emissions from the sawing and sanding of the particle board.
- The site has installed stormwater first flush interceptors, which are designed to stop potential pollutants for example oil or other potential spills from reaching waterways around the site.
- Resin waste is contained in lined concrete pits. The solid waste is disposed of in an accredited landfill. The site has an on-going waste reduction program to minimise waste.
Installation of wet electrostatic precipitator
In 2002 the company installed a wet electrostatic precipitator (WESP) which cuts smoke emissions by up to 90 per cent. The device acts as a type of magnet by means of electro grids and traps small particles and droplets, preventing them from escaping through its stack into the atmosphere. This was the first unit used at a particle board manufacturing plant in Australia.
Since the installation of the WESP reported emissions of particulates to the NPI have decreased by about 50 per cent.
Community consultation
Carter Holt Harvey has engaged the local community in improving its environmental management by introducing a consultative committee made up of members of the local community, the local council, theNSW Department of Environment and Conservation and the company’s environmental manager. The committee meets regularly to address issues of concern and allows the company to address complaints as they arise.
Outcomes for Carter Holt Harvey
- The relationship between the particle board mill and the community has improved with Carter Holt Harvey actively working towards changing community perceptions.
- The benefit from the installation of pollution control equipment can be found with the reduction of emissions to the local environment.
- A reduction in the amount of solid waste generated through the reuse and recycling of wood products contributes to the continuous improvement of the company’s environmental sustainability.
More about Carter Holt Harvey's NPI emission report
The NPI collects information about emissions from around 4000 Australian industrial facilities, including the Carter Holt Harvey particle board mill in Tumut, New South Wales. Emissions are estimated using techniques outlined in industry reporting materials provided on the NPI web site.
The facility emission report includes company details, emissions data for a given year, sources of emissions, emission reduction activities and a map of the facility location.